Jonah 3:8
6 When word reached the king of Nineveh, he got up from his throne, took off his royal robe, covered himself with sackcloth, and sat in ashes.
7 Then he issued a proclamation in Nineveh: “By the decree of the king and his nobles: Let no man or beast, herd or flock, taste anything at all. They must not eat or drink.
Furthermore, let both man and beast be covered with sackcloth, and have everyone call out earnestly to God. Let each one turn from his evil ways and from the violence in his hands.
9 Who knows? God may turn and relent; He may turn from His fierce anger, so that we will not perish.”
10 When God saw their actions—that they had turned from their evil ways—He relented from the disaster He had threatened to bring upon them.
Here the Bible tells a story about someone else. Ask yourself what it can say to us today. Do read the surrounding verses too, because the context often says more than a single verse.
Compare
- BSB
- Furthermore, let both man and beast be covered with sackcloth, and have everyone call out earnestly to God. Let each one turn from his evil ways and from the violence in his hands.
- KJV
- But let man and beast be covered with sackcloth, and cry mightily unto God: yea, let them turn every one from his evil way, and from the violence that is in their hands.
- WEB
- but let them be covered with sackcloth, both man and animal, and let them cry mightily to God. Yes, let them turn everyone from his evil way and from the violence that is in his hands.
- ASV
- but let them be covered with sackcloth, both man and beast, and let them cry mightily unto God: yea, let them turn every one from his evil way, and from the violence that is in his hands.
- DARBY
- and let man and beast be covered with sackcloth, and cry mightily unto God; and let them turn every one from his evil way, and from the violence that is in their hands.
- BLB
- And let them be covered with sackcloth, the man and the beast, and call out to God with strength; and each man must turn back from his evil way, and from the violence that is in his hands.
- ÅB
- Men de skal svøpe seg i sekk, både mennesker og dyr, og de skal rope til Gud med kraft og vende om, hver fra sin onde vei og fra den urett som henger ved deres hender.
- OTB
- Men la både mennesker og dyr bli dekket med sekkestrie, og la alle påkalle Gud inderlig. La dem vende om fra sine onde veier og den vold som er i deres hender.
- B1930
- Men de skal svøpe sig i sekk, både mennesker og dyr, og de skal rope til Gud med kraft og vende om, hver fra sin onde vei og fra den urett som henger ved deres hender.
Study notes (Tyndale)
Original text and word study
Cross references
Isaiah 59:6
Their cobwebs cannot be made into clothing, and they cannot cover themselves with their works. Their deeds are sinful deeds, and acts of violence are in their hands.
Read in contextIsaiah 55:6–7
Seek the LORD while He may be found; call on Him while He is near.
Read in contextJonah 1:6
The captain approached him and said, “How can you sleep? Get up and call upon your God. Perhaps this God will consider us, so that we may not perish.”
Read in contextJonah 1:14
So they cried out to the LORD: “Please, O LORD, do not let us perish on account of this man’s life! Do not charge us with innocent blood! For You, O LORD, have done as You pleased.”
Read in contextEzekiel 18:21–24
But if the wicked man turns from all the sins he has committed, keeps all My statutes, and does what is just and right, he will surely live; he will not die.
Read in contextActs 3:19
Repent, then, and turn back, so that your sins may be wiped away,
Read in contextIsaiah 1:16–19
Wash and cleanse yourselves. Remove your evil deeds from My sight. Stop doing evil!
Read in contextIsaiah 58:6
Isn’t this the fast that I have chosen: to break the chains of wickedness, to untie the cords of the yoke, to set the oppressed free and tear off every yoke?
Read in context